Cadets from the 459 Windsor Squadron, filed into the central courtyard, joined by flag bearers from The Royal British Legion for the special centenary ceremony.

Despite the heavy downpour , officers and cadets stood proudly during the service, which not only celebrated the passing of the baton to a new generation of young people, but remembered the many thousands of lives of those who had gone before.

Members of the RAF 100 Baton relay team arrived at the check point in Runnymede in time for the ceremony, just one of the one-hundred stops they will have to make in the coming months for the centenary celebrations.

Read More

Latest RAF Headlines

The cadet squadron celebrated moving on to the next stage of their cadet career, with a swearing in ceremony lead by the Reverend Kate Harrison.

All those who attended observed a minute silence in memory of the 20,000 service men and women, who have given their life in service in the last one-hundred years, many of whom are commemorated at Runnymede.

The service was organised in collaboration with the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, which described the arrival of the baton at Runnymede as a "a most fitting homecoming" for the national site of rememberence.

Addressing the new cadets, Reverend Harrison said :"Receiving this baton here tonight is symbolic of our place in that long line, that succession of people who worked tirelessly to make this world a better place.

She said: "Cadets, you join cadets all over the country, united in our aims and grateful for all we share. Yes, RAF 100 is about the past, but it's not only about the past and our gratitude for the legacy that we've inherited. It's about our pledge to carry on that proud tradition of service. Cadets of 459 Squadron, you carry the baton forwards.

"Every moment of learning, fun and friendship that you learn as a cadet contributes to so much bigger than our one sqaudron."

The RAF 100 baton was placed within the court yard of the Runnymede Air Forces Memorial (Image: Darren Pepe)

After the ceremony, Group Captain Robert Woods told cadets: "The baton relay is but one part of RAF one hundred and all the events that are happening.

"The three objectives of RAF 100 are simply to commemorate, celebrate and inspire. Here, tonight, what better place to commemorate the past, to reflect on what those who have gone before us have done and what they have sacraficed."

"I can think of no better place than Runnymede memorial and it is typical of many places that we are visiting in the next 100 days."

"We are also about celebrating, and those individuals in front of you this evening and have been going all week represent the very best of Royal Air Force of today. They've endured, they've got through a number of problems at the start of the week," he said.

"Some of them have run almost 100 miles in the last seven days since the baton started in London on April 1. Determination and courage are what set those people apart from so many others and it isn't just one week out for them, they are doing this every day in their roles within the Royal Air Force."

Read More

"And lastly 'inspire', and with 459 Windsor squadron here this evening, what better way to inspire us in the future. You young men and women, whatever course you take in life, you are inspired by the names of those who surround you at this memorial. Let those names guide the choices you make."

Follow the latest #RAF100 and Armed Forces headlines on our app:

Keep up to date with the latest news from around the county via the free Get Surrey app.

You can set up your app to see all the latest news and events from your area, plus receive push notifications for breaking news.